


Buns

by peetazeus



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Everlark, Friends to Lovers, everlark, jealous katniss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 12:43:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8208430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peetazeus/pseuds/peetazeus
Summary: Peeta has new friends and Katniss doesn't like it.





	

“What do you mean he isn’t coming?”

They’ve been doing this for years, the five of them-Johanna, Katniss, Peeta, Finnick and Annie-hanging out in college most days and every weekend. Even after they graduated, they were all local enough to meet up and have a movie, game or even just to catch up.

Sometimes every week, or once a month. They eventually agreed on every second week, and they always turned up. It was a given rule. Even if they were extremely hungover (Finnick) or had a protest scheduled the next day (Johanna), they always showed up. 

Until now. 

Peeta bailed. Again. 

Annie bites her lip, Katniss already knowing what she was going to say. “He has to do work with his intern group.” 

Peeta had started his internship at Panem Hospital two months ago after graduating from medical school. He was going to be a doctor. But at this point. Katniss was getting sick of that stupid hospital and especially his stupid intern group. 

Tonight, it was in Annie and Finnick’s place. Katniss met Annie in freshmen year, since they were both doing teaching. Katniss wasn’t very good at making friends, but Annie clung onto her and they clicked. Annie was a small girl, with pale skin sprinkled with freckles. She was striking, with light red hair that went down to her lower back. She was very shy and sweet, the opposite of Katniss.

Prim always made the point that Katniss wasn’t shy, she just didn’t like people. 

Johanna smirked, shifting her feet on Katniss’ lap. “Our dear Peeta bread seems to have new friends. No wonder the snacks are shockingly shit.”

Through Annie, she met Johanna Mason. A headstrong girl with short hair, piercings, tattoos and a pretty face. She had a dark sense of humour and didn’t take to anyone kindly. She was a law major, Finnick figuring the reasoning was she would “get paid for arguing all the time”. Katniss and Johanna clashed at first for two very closed off people, but they eventually became friends and now they live together. 

Finnick scowled, putting a hand over his heart and the other arm around Annie’s shoulders. They’d been together for three years now, after a year of Finnick chasing her for a date she finally gave in. “How dare you. I went to the shop and picked them out myself.”

Through Johanna came Finnick Odair, their college’s golden boy. He literally was golden. Perfectly tanned, shiny white smile, bronze hair and sea-green eyes. Everyone knew who he was, everyone adored him and everyone wanted him. Katniss could see why, until he opened his mouth and any semblance of attraction she had towards him disappeared. He was a golden idiot. 

But he grew on her. 

From Finnick, came Peeta. 

All of them were her people.

But Peeta? Peeta was her person. 

And that stupid prick ditched game night. 

Katniss opens their Whatsapp conversation from earlier, her eyes lingering on his ‘See you Later :)’ text from earlier.

Why hadn’t he told her he wasn’t coming? 

Katniss wasn’t the jealous type. Especially not over people like Cato, Glimmer, Madge and Clove. 

His stupid elite intern group. 

Yet, she was. Katniss Everdeen was incredibly jealous and it was really pissing her off. 

They seemed to take up all of his time lately. He’s cancelled and cut short lunches, dinners, nights out or chill nights for ‘studying’. He couldn’t even go see the new Star Wars with her. And she pretended to like that sci-fi stuff for him. 

It felt like she hadn’t seen him in forever. 

At first, Katniss didn’t like Peeta. He was too nice. Always baking for everyone. No matter where they were, people always said “Hi Peeta” and stopped to give him hugs and talk. He volunteered at homeless shelters. He was the star wrestler at their college. He painted for charity auctions. He was voted president of his and Finnick’s fraternity. He was intelligent, graduating with a stellar business degree with honours. Professors and parents loved him. Girls were obsessed with him. 

Katniss wasn’t.

He grew on her. She went from not wanting him around, to not caring if he was to wanting him around all the time. He was her best friend.

He had these blue eyes, she could barely describe them. They were like the sea in summer, but with a sparkle to it. His soft curly blonde hair, that always smelled like strawberries and paint. He was built, he’d been wrestling since he was kid. He was muscular and strong, his chest rather distracting sometimes. The best was his smile. His sweet, soft smile that managed to pull Katniss out of any bad or stubborn mood.

But right now, all she wanted to do was to punch that stupid smile. 

Katniss watched Johanna open her bottle of tequila and takes a sip just as Finnick claps his hand, standing up in front of them all. “Our entertainment for the night: Jaws or Monopoly?”

Johanna groans and Katniss takes the tequila bottle. 

 

After another Monopoly night ending in Johanna and Finnick battling it out through properties, Katniss and Annie having long given up, it’s around 1am after Johanna throws a mini pink hotel at Finnick’s head when they finally get their taxi home. 

They stop in traffic along the strip of clubs and bars, known as the Hub in town. Johanna’s ranting to the taxi driver about something to do with the judicial system and Katniss is staring out the smudged window with a dull expression. 

Her eyes flick across the windows of the lit up strip of bars, her eyes stopping after a familiar head of blonde curls sitting in the window of Cinna’s.

Their bar. 

Her and Peeta went there all the time, well, used to go there all the time. And there he was, sitting at a crowded table full of empty bottles of beer and glasses with his new friends. She recognized him instantly, she was always able to tell it was Peeta no matter how far apart they were. She was that accustomed to him. She could also tell you his favourite song, the amount of freckles he had sprawled across his nose, 12, and his favourite sports teams. 

She also could tell you how much seeing him there hurts. How that girl, Glimmer, whom she had been introduced to briefly at a party a few weeks ago was right beside Peeta, her arms around him and whispering something into his ear. Which Peeta wasn’t stopping. 

Her hand practically assaults Johanna to get her attention, slapping her on the arm who swears loudly as she turns to Katniss, interrupting her point on the corruptness of the criminal court which the driver seemed thankful for. 

“What the absolute f-” Katniss’ pointed finger in his direction cuts Johanna off and her eyes follow it, and her silence shows she’s seen what Katniss has. She scoffs loudly and shakes her head, opening her bag and taking out her pack of cigarettes. She took one for herself and perched it between her lips, and offers one to Katniss. 

Her voice comes out muffled as she flicks her lighter a few times, “Seems like they’ve been doing a lot of work tonight. Mellark’s caught in his little lie.”

She’s right. He did lie. To her, to the others.

Peeta hates smoking. 

Katniss takes the cigarette and lights it.

Well, she hates Peeta.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Katniss has been ignoring Peeta for a week. It’s been over four years since Katniss has gone a day, much less a week without talking to Peeta. There’s 15 missed calls, 30 texts, 10 snapchats and even an instagram message. Which is depressing, considering Peeta’s in nearly every one of her pictures. 

Peeta’s gone to all lengths to talk to her and Katniss has gone to all lengths to ignore him. He even showed up to their apartment, but luckily she’d volunteered to take detention in the High School she worked at as a Chemistry teacher and wasn’t there. Johanna had covered for her and when she got home, crossing her arms and staring at Katniss. 

“It was like kicking a puppy, Brainless. He just wants to explain to you about the other night. It wasn't what we thought we saw. He’s miserable. You’re being stupid. Ignoring him and being stubborn won’t resolve your freaky jealous feelings for him,” She pointed out, and Katniss flipped her off because she hated that she was right.  
“So stop being selfish and forgive him and you two can finally get your cliched ‘friends who love each other’ shit together and fuck it all out, so he can bring over something to eat. I’m starving. Please feel free to take this personally!” Johanna calls after her as she storms away, slamming her bedroom door behind her. 

Katniss wasn’t good with emotions. Particularly her emotions. Not with her mother’s blank depression when her father died, not when Annie had her scenes when she was off her meds. She didn’t understand any of it. 

She felt hurt. Sad. Angry. She felt like screaming but also crying. She lay there in her bedroom, on the green duvet Peeta had helped her pick out last spring. He was the only person who could make her feel better when she was battling it out with her emotions, the only person she let make her feel better-and she was ignoring him. It was all because of him. She’d cut people off before. 

It’s just never hurt this much. 

There’s no get together this week since Annie and Finnick are out of town, so Johanna decides they’re going out and Katniss doesn’t object. She figures getting drunk will distract her for a while, and Johanna's new boytoy has invited them to a new club opening downtown. 

“You ready? I’m so getting laid tonight.”

Katniss looks behind her in the mirror, Johanna’s wearing a black fishnet long sleeved dress that reaches her upper thigh, boots and a black choker. The bottle of vodka in her hand shows she’s already started drinking, and Katniss clips in her small pearl earring. The one’s Peeta gave her for her birthday last year. Katniss is wearing a bodycon white lace dress, one her sister left the last time she visited. Her hair’s down, not in its usual side plait and she’s even wearing white heels. 

She gazes into the mirror and she looks nothing like the usual Katniss. Which is fine. She doesn’t feel like being Katniss tonight. 

“Wow Everdeen, you’re on fire.”

With one last glance in the mirror, Katniss grabs the vodka bottle as they walk out.

Despite the long line, they get into the old warehouse the minute they get there. Johanna’s boytoy, well mantoy Haymitch, who is about 20 years older than them gets them in and escorts them to the VIP lounge area. Katniss doesn’t know him well, but Johanna doesn’t keep people around long and he’s already outrun the rest of them. He’s witty, and Katniss doesn’t really care once he hands her a drink and a pass that means everything at the bar’s free. 

Katniss leaves the V.I.P area once Johanna disappears off with her hands all over Haymitch. It’s practically empty except for a lady called Effie with orange hair and a 3D dress, along with a group of her followers who kept pestering Katniss about fashion and failed attempts to fix her hair. 

She ends up at the bar, her nails tapping against the bar as she waved at the bartender, who was busy serving multiple people, trying to get his attention. 

“Can I buy you a drink, Miss Everdeen?” 

She looks to her left at the guy standing beside her. He’s towering over her, with dark ruffled hair and brooding eyes which are staring familiarly at her, stubble on his cheeks and he’s wearing a tartan blue shirt with jeans. Opposed to his usual adidas tracksuit and polo shirt.  
It’s Gale Hawthorne. 

“Gale? I didn’t recognize you!”

He’s a P.E teacher in her high school, and her teaching Chemistry they never really clashed until he was making every single one of her freshmen late last year by holding them in. So, she went to him and gave out to him, which resulted in a heated argument and a possible dodgeball thrown at his head. 

But, things were resolved and he was impressed by her impeccable aim. From there, when they could eat at lunch or the same cafeteria shift, they ate together. 

He looked good. Really good. She had never thought of him as anything other than Gale, the guy she ate lunch with every once in awhile. Something was pulling her in, and she wasn’t sure if it was the fact he was the polar opposite of Peeta it was but she actually smiled at him. Her hand lifted up the pass around her neck and she raised an eyebrow at him, a sudden burst of flirtiness shining through. “How about I buy you one?” 

Katniss was drunk. She had lost count after her fifth tequila shot and Gale’s sixth beer, and everything was a blur of them dancing to them doing shots with Johanna and Haymitch. She was vaguely aware of Gale’s arm around her waist and there was two things she was sure of.

One, they hadn’t kissed yet. Two, he wasn’t Peeta. And three, she wished he was. 

He definitely was not as drunk as she was. Everything was spinning and not in a good way. Johanna was long gone, in the midst of the large warehouse which was now a packed, lit up club. Neon lights were everywhere, dancers dancing in cages hanging from the roof and smoke filling the air. But when Gale whispers “You wanna get out of here?” She nods, because this really isn’t her scene, she still misses Peeta and she wants to leave.

She stumbles out of the club, Gale’s hands slipping from her waist only to grab back onto it again as they finally make it outside. The cool hair that hits Katniss’ face is refreshing, her hand brushing the beads of sweat off her forehead and then she yanks her heels off, shoving them at Gale whose hand is in the air looking for a taxi. 

“Katniss?”

Despite her drunken state, her whole body went rigid and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. He was beside her before she managed to turn around, those stupid blue eyes wide with anxiety and sucking her in.

“Mellark.” 

That’s what she manages to get out, her voice surprisingly cold but shaky since she had been slurring her speech for the past hour. Her shoulders are back, her walls are up and she won’t back down.

This clearly wounds him, a look of hurt flashing across his face but he doesn’t stop. “Katniss, please. Please talk to me. Let me explain about the other night-”

He’s interrupted when a live barbie walks up beside him, placing her delicately manicured hands on his harm and pouts at him. Glimmer. She doesn’t even acknowledge Katniss. 

“Peeeta, we’re about to go in.”

Katniss winces at the shrill of her voice. It makes her mad, possessive, especially how she whines Peeta’s name. Katniss wants to grab one of her heels and thrown it at her fake hair extension head. 

Peeta barely acknowledges her, which sends a shrill of happiness through Katniss. “Go ahead without me.” 

Glimmer looks between them and pouts, nodding as she flicks her blonde locks behind her shoulder. “Okay, see you in their honey. Nice seeing you again, Katherine.” 

It wasn’t how she said Peeta’s name, or the flashbacks of her hands all over Peeta in the bar the other night, or the fact that she got Katniss’ wrong that made her do it. It was how she leaned in and smack, kissed Peeta’s cheek long and hard leaving a red lipstick stain there. 

Katniss’ brain decides she’s dead then. 

Katniss doesn’t even know what’s happening, it was a blur of her lunging for Glimmer, screaming “Glitterbitch”, a death grip on her hair, Glimmer’s screams and security trying to restrain Katniss. Before she knows it, she’s hoisted over Peeta’s shoulder and she’s being carried away. 

This finally seems to catch Gale’s attention who follows them, despite Katniss’ kicking and screaming. Peeta’s already putting her in a taxi when Gale puts his hand on the door.

“Sorry bro, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing but she’s going home with me.”

There’s a brief pause as Peeta hangs his head down, shaking it slightly. He isn’t frowning or smiling, there’s an odd calm expression on his face. Katniss doesn’t notice any of this, she’s too busy screaming and attempting to kick Peeta. Gale swallows slightly as Peeta stands up, staring him down. Although Gale’s taller, Peeta’s stronger and more built. It’s clear who would win in a fight.

Peeta just extends his hand and Gale silently hands over the heels, not saying another word. Then Peeta slams the door and the taxi’s moving. 

Katniss gave up on the screaming and kicking after a while, it was rather tiring and Peeta’s grip didn’t hurt but it got her to stop moving. 

He carries her up to his apartment, since she’s lost her ability to walk and the four flights of stairs up to his apartment was like the Great Wall of China to her right now. 

She’s missed his smell, the smell of paint and strawberries filling her nostrils from his jumper which she’s pressed against until he lies her down on his bed. The room’s dark, but still dizzy. He flicks on his small bedside lamp and she sees his anatomy textbooks stacked up beside it. Then he’s gone, reappearing again with a glass of water and a plate with a cheese bun on it. 

He doesn’t say anything, he just hands them to her silently and she only takes him when the pleading look in his eyes gets to her. 

She’s the one who breaks the silence hanging in the room, her mouth full of cheese bun and some crumbs stuck to her chin. She’s still drunk, embarrassed, upset and angry when she looks at the right side of his face. Which gives her the nerve to speak.

“You’ve still got that slut’s lipstick on your cheek.”

Her words startle him, the malice of them but they also confuse him until he stands up and walks over to the mirror. She hates the word, but she’s trying to make herself feel better.  
She sees his eyes widen as he sees what she’s talking about, and he quickly grabs a wipe off his desk and wipes the stain off until it’s gone. 

“Katniss-”

“How long have you been sleeping with her?”

She cuts him off, asking a question she really didn’t want to hear the answer to. How had she not put things together? No wonder he wasn’t around anymore. He had a new girlfriend now, and he spent every single second of his life with her and he had no time for their friends or Katniss anymore. They used to tell each other everything. 

He turns around to look her, his face telling her he was completely lost and he runs a hand through his hair before he speaks. Even in her state, she knows that’s a habit of his when he’s frustrated. 

“Katniss, I’m not sleeping with anyone. I don’t know-”

She cuts him off again, “You don’t have to lie to me Peeta-”

“Shut the fuck up, Katniss and let me speak!”

Her eyes widen. It’s rare when Peeta snaps, it’s normally at the height of his anger. She stops anyway, pouting at him and finishing off her cheese bun. 

He lets out a deep breath and he does look sorry, his face softening but instead of apologizing he sits down on the side of his bed and drops his shoulders as he looks at her. 

“You’re the most frustrating person on the planet, you know that? And a good kicker. Pretty sure I’m going to have bruises in the morning,” He half laughs but the flat expression on her face makes him quickly stop. “Okay, tough crowd. Kat, I understand you’re mad at me and I’m sorry. I never meant to upset you. I know you saw me the other night at Cinna’s. Johanna told me everything.” 

Betrayer. Note to self to kill Johanna in the morning. 

“We were working until 11 the other night and the other’s wanted to go out for a drink, and I couldn’t just say no. I guess I just suggested Cinna’s because it reminded me of you and the others. I know I’ve been spending a bit of time with the hospital group lately-”

Katniss snorts at that.

“Okay, a lot of time with them lately. I guessed since I’m just going to be with them for the next 6 years, I figured I would make an effort. With long shifts, projects and files we just end up spending a lot of time together. They’re not that bad. Cato’s okay and Madge is pretty nice. Clove and Glimmer are bearable, but I swear I’m not sleeping with any of them. Not even Cato and his six pack.”

That makes Katniss half-smile and that’s a win for Peeta, since his face lights up when he sees it and his frame relaxes. “There it is. I knew it was hiding somewhere.” 

“I promise I won’t miss another hangout again. I miss you all the time. I hate how this has been taking up my time because hanging out with you is my favourite thing in the world. I promise everything will be exactly as it used to be. And about the other night, I promise I didn’t ditch you guys. I wanted to be there so badly, you know that. I’d never miss a Johanna and Finnick showdown for the world.”

He continues, a determined look in his face. "And about Glimmer. I have no interest in her, at all. She's very touchy feel-y, and I know I should stop her. She's only using me to get Cato's attention anyway, and make him jealous. None of it's real. But from now on, I promise I'll stop her."

His words give Katniss this weird fluttery feeling in her stomach, and a sense of relief, and she knows he’s forgiven. She feels uneasy, her palms sweaty as she finally makes eye contact with him. He looked good tonight, in a blue shirt that show off his arms and a pair of jeans that fit him well. 

“I guess I missed you a lot,” She finally murmured, everything in her wanting to break eye contact but she didn’t. They had never talked like this before. “And when I saw you with Glitter in our place, with her hands all over you and then again tonight. It….it just made me really angry.”

Peeta chuckled, “I think I and everyone caught onto that. With the screaming ‘Glitterbitch’ at the top of your lungs, the lunging and the gripping of her hair. Which, by the way, I’m going to have to return to her since you got some of her extensions.”

They’re both laughing by then, and they both know things are okay again. But it feels different. Her cheeks are tinted red and she hits him with a pillow. “Shut up,” She whines, her eyes closed as she covers them with her hands. “I acted like a crazy person. I’m so embarrassed.” 

She feels him closer now, and he softly removes her hands with his own but he doesn’t let go as he lets them rest in their laps. His larger hand is curled around hers, his skin harder than hers because of the years of baking. His thumb brushes the back of her hand, back and forth. He’s looking at her with this look that makes her knees weak and her stomach churn, her palms sweaty but she can’t stop looking at him. 

“Yeah, well, you’re my crazy person.”

They’ve never been this close before, like this, with only a few centimeters between them. She’s flustered and she feels strange, her stomach full of that fluttery feeling. He looks like he’s going to kiss her. 

She’s really hoping she’s right. 

One of his hands moves up to brush some loose strands out of her face, and he’s looking straight into her chestnut eyes. She’s feeling everything at once, her heart’s beating hard in her chest but her stomach...isn’t feeling so lovely anymore.

She’s smiling but it doesn’t feel like butterflies anymore. She gags slightly, her body shuddering as an uncomfortable feeling rises up her body. Peeta pauses, pulling back slightly with a confused expression. 

And then she vomits all over his lap. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------   

She wakes up curled up in Peeta’s bed, in one of his old wrestling jerseys. Her head feels like it weighs a tonne, her throat and mouth dry and she feels awful. Reminiscing about last night makes her feel even worse, and the thought of having to face Peeta makes her want to jump out his four story window. She continued to vomit for half an hour straight ins his bathroom, Peeta beside her holding her hair back. Eventually helping her shower and putting her into his bed when she passed out.

Peeta Mellark was a precious human that needed to be saved from batshit crazy girls like her. 

She eventually drags herself out of bed, splashing her face with water and quickly tying her hair back into a braid to stop it looking like a bush. She pulls on a pair of his grey sweats, her fingertips tracing the yellow letters of Mellark on his blue jersey before she takes a deep breath and walks out of the bedroom.

The first thing that hits her is the smell of food. If there’s one thing Peeta’s good at, it’s food. Katniss wouldn’t have tried half of the food she has if it wasn’t for Peeta. Her favourites were his pizza nights, where they’d make pizza at his place and end up throwing flour and dough at each other, or have pizza competitions (Peeta always won) and she loved pancake mornings, like today. 

She walked into his white kitchen, which often reminded her of a little bakery with its marble countertops covered with machinery and an open cookbook. His double door steel fridge is covered in magnets from various countries and drawings from his nephews and nieces. He had two ovens and several hobs, covered in various pans and pots. He had two large bookshelves covered with cookbooks, and hooks covering the room with spatulas, spoons and knives. Most of the presents she’d given him were baking related. 

Including the ‘Like my buns?’ apron he was wearing right now as he stood in the middle of his kitchen, one hand holding onto the handle of the the frying pan as he flipped a pancake. He looked tired, blonde curls standing up in various directions. He heard her before he saw her, and his blue iris’ looked up and a small smile broke out on his face.

She was oddly nervous, and she shifted slightly as one of her hands wrapped around her other arm. She didn’t know what to do. Their moment replaying again and again in her mind.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

He gestures for her to take a seat at his table island and she does on one of his bar stools, grateful when she sees some water and two pills and she’s already swallowed them along with most of the water once she’s sat down. 

“Rough night?” He teases, placing a feast of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and pancakes in front of her as he takes a seat beside her. She wants to scowl, but she’s too in love with him and all the food he’s made to care about her embarrassing shenanigans.

But that’s it.

She’s too in love with him. 

She digs her fork into her pancake, smirking at him as she rests an elbow on the marble counter. “It was, actually. I was kidnapped by a blonde pervert. And carried back to his apartment.”

He’s smiling widely now, and wow she’s never fully realized how much his smile affects her until this moment. “Oh, really? That’s funny. I stopped a crazy black haired girl from attacking someone, saving everyone around us in the process and toning down the crazy. I got out with my life and a blonde hair extension.”

She raises an eyebrow, watching him as he takes a bit of a crispy piece of bacon and her smiles matching his. “And how did you tone down the crazy, exactly?”

“By feeding her my cheese buns.”

There’s a slight pause, and she feels like she’s about to burst. It’s abundantly clear to her now, and probably to Peeta too. She’s in love with her best friend. And no matter how shitty she feels and looks, she knows if she doesn’t say it right here right now she’ll explode. 

“Peeta?”

“Yeah?”

“I love your buns.” 

She isn’t saying it directly, but she’s never said anything like this before to anyone and it feels like every little inch of her is exposed and he isn’t saying anything. Why isn’t he saying anything? Years of unwanted and ignored feelings and emotions have been poured into four single words that make up the stupidest way someone could ever tell someone they’re in love with them. 

So she continues talking.

“You do know what I mean by buns, right? Not that I don’t like your cheese buns or your ‘buns’, I love your cheese buns and your ‘buns’, it’s...it’s really nice and eh, firm? Not that I’d know that! I’m just guessing. I’m not complaining at all and oh god, I-”

And he’s kissing her, his hands cupping her face as he leans across the counter and it takes a few seconds for her to register what is going on before she’s kissing him back. His lips are soft and know what they’re doing, and wow he’s an amazing kisser, there’s little sparks going off in her brain. She never wants this to end. She’s eventually pulled onto his lap, his muscular arms reaching under her thighs and lifting her onto his lap. 

Their lips are moving together, his tongue pushing her lips apart and teasing hers. He’s biting her bottom lip, and she’s flustered but in a good way. She hasn’t felt like this with someone for a while. This is definitely the best kiss she’s ever had. 

They eventually break apart, their noses still touching and their lips barely apart. She can count his twelve light freckles, see the sky in his aquamarine eyes and she never wants this moment to end. 

“You don’t know how long I have waited to hear you say that,” Peeta murmurs and Katniss feels that fluttery feeling in her lower stomach and she’s (half) certain it’s because of Peeta and not that she’s going to puke again. 

She smiles widely at him and then they’re kissing again, until they eventually break apart and she returns to her stool to eat her breakfast. It wasn’t ideal. Their first kiss. Katniss telling him her feelings hungover and looking half-dead, especially in his kitchen the morning after vomiting on him and attack his colleague. And ignoring him for a week. But in their own little way, it was perfect. If not perfect, sitting here right now with her fingers threaded through Peeta’s, it was good enough for her. 

“And Katniss?”

“Yeah?”

“I love your buns too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! I'm finally posting this everlark one-shot I've been working on for a while. This is my first time posting a fic and I know it needs a lot of work, but I'm learning! I hope you enjoyed it and I'd love to hear any feedback and what people think! i'm peetazeus on tumblr :)


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